It is always interesting when someone decides to intentionally damage it's brand. This is the case with the NBA. I will be the first to say...BYE BYE! In all honesty, I have heard discussions about salaries, contracts, etc. Unlike the NFL lockout, very little has been said about the fans. In fact the closest players have done is something like charity games to show how much THEY (the players) love the game of basketball....not for the fans (quoting Amare there who just said it).
I also find it kind of amusing how many player leaders state "we just have had to be saving money". It is almost laughable in this age that players live such outlandish lifestyles that they need to save money when the players that play the game have the highest average salary of players in any sport IN THE WORLD (second place was a cricket league in India, followed by MLB)! The average salary in the league is 4.79 million dollars (not including endorsements...this is a little over 92k per week). By comparison, the average NFL salary is 770,000. Base salary in the NBA was $428,163 (with a 14k raise each year guaranteed as well as EVERY player in the NBA gets a $30/game allowance). The median salary 3 years ago in a US household of four was a smidge over 65k. Forgive me if I am not worried about the players losing money by not playing and having to "save" by not buying a new Ferrari. Instead, lets talk about who this fight between billionaires and millionaires will really effect....the people. To analyze this, lets focus on the nations largest city with only one major league sports franchise (another topic completely)....San Antonio. Directly, according to a Reuters report, the San Antonio Spurs not playing will affect 4,000 people who make either partially or entirely off of Spurs basketball games.Some estimates have this impacting the San Antonio and even the Austin areas by almost $100 million dollars.Not as bad as a layoff or complete work stoppage of another business, largely because people who will spend money in one venue will spend in another. It does still impact businesses. The direct affect on fans are the loss of jobs for those 4,000 people. Unlike the NFL, NBA players do have the option of playing in other countries during the lockout if they choose to. Now of course no team in another country will pay 20 mil for a player...or at least could pay it, but players can still play (look at Kobe Bryant, Derron Williams, etc). Of course, what about these rookies that just got drafted? Some have had offers in other countries, others will live off of parents or agents until the payday hits. I personally think it was class A stupid for any underclassman to come out last year. In fact I believe it is 100% the reason some of the big names did not. Why come out to a lockout, when you can still play, get better, and have most of your needs taken care of at college (and of course live the college life).
Now for you fans who love NBA basketball, I guess you have two options. First is the easiest...watch NCAA basketball (I always enjoy it better than NBA anyway). Secondly, find out a way to get Euro basketball. Some dish providers provide the ability to buy foreign programming, so maybe they carry it?
Best of luck NBA, I don't feel sorry for the players or owners, I will open my tailgate, watch the NFL (who did get a deal done), watch some crazies in college basketball, and enjoy!
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